Cansjera 
OPILIACEAE 191 
CANSJERA A.L.Juss. 
A genus of 3 species; 1 species in Australia. 
C. leptostachya Benth. 
Woody liane or erect shrub; branchlets, pedicels 
and inflorescence with close, crisped, white 
tomentum. Petiole 2-4 mm long. Leaf blades ovate 
to lanceolate, 29-95 mm long, 10-46 mm wide, L/B 
1.6-3.5. Inflorescence a spike, 1-4 per axil, 10-15 mm 
long. Bracts sessile, persistent. Flowers 1-9 per spike. 
Perianth greenish yellow, tubular, c. 2 mm long, 
lobes c. 0.5 mm long. Fruit orange-red, ellipsoidal 
to + globular, 9-13 mm long. Flowering: July - Sept; 
fruiting: Sept - Dec. Fig. 61 
Occurs through E. Malesia to northern Australia 
from the Kimberley to Cape York. Scattered 
localities along the Top End coast in coastal vine 
thicket; rare in the DR where known only from East 
Point. 
OPILIA Roxb. 
A genus of 2 species; from Africa through Asia to northern Australia. Only 1 species in the NT. 
O. amentacea Roxb. 
Woody liane or scrambling shrub. Young 
branchlets, inflorescence rachis, pedicels and 
ovary with minute septate, glandular hairs. Petiole 
3-7 mm long. Leaf blades + coriaceous, lanceolate 
or elliptic, 50-140 mm long, 20-54 mm wide, L/B 
1.9-2.8. Inflorescence racemose, to 35 mm long. 
Bracts peltate, closely imbricate when young, 
caducous. Pedicels 1.5-2 mm long. Perianth a 
Cansjera 
C. leptostachya 
single whorl of 5(6), yellowish green, valvate, 
free tepals. Stamens 5-6. Disc with fleshy irregularly 
dentate lobes alternating with stamens. Stigma 
sessile. Fruit fleshy, pale yellow, ellipsoidal, 15-30 
mm long. Flowering: Aug - Oct; fruiting: Oct - Feb. 
Fig. 61 ee: : 
From Africa through Asia, Malesia to northern 
Australia. Common in the DR in monsoon thickets 
or open forest. The fruits are edible. 
young 
inflorescence 
O. amentacea 
Fig. 61 
